Annette Sym’s ‘The Grandma diet’ will help you lose weight

Australia’s weight loss queen reveals why you can eat burgers, hot chips and chocolate and still lose those unwanted kilos with her eating plan.

Kerry Parnell

The Sunday TelegraphJanuary 23, 20189:07am

Annette Sym Source: News Corp AustraliaSource:BodyAndSoul

Twenty years and four million books after Annette Sym launched her no-nonsense diet, it’s still a winner. There are not many diets that include fry-ups, burgers and hot chips — but then Annette Sym doesn’t see her eating plan as a diet.

And it has stood the test of time — 20 years after launching her first low-fat cookbook, Sym, 62, has sold four million copies and become Australia’s weight-loss queen.

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Sym’s journey began in 1991 when she was shocked by a photo of herself in a swimsuit.

Nicknamed “porky” at school, Sym weighed 100 kilos and decided she would finally do something about it.

She devised a healthy eating plan and lost 35 kilos in 20 months, going from a size 24 to a 12.

Inspired to share her experience, she wrote Symply Too Good To Be True, which sold out immediately. Seven books and a healthy-eating empire later, she’s re-released her diets for a new generation.

“People go for crazy diets and cut all these different food groups and then wonder why they can’t stick to it,” she says. “They give up and go back to their old ways. They haven’t taught themselves anything new so it becomes a vicious cycle.

“I want everyone to feel proud of themselves. If you feel like you’ve tried everything, just try me.”

THE DIET

This seven-day weight-loss plan is designed to kickstart your diet. It gives you around 30g of fat and 1250-1300 calories per day. Expect to lose half a kilo a week. It is not suitable for children, pregnant and breastfeeding women. Eat what is listed each day, including snacks, and don’t guess portion sizes. “If the menu allocates 150g of fish, get some scales and weigh it,” Sym says.

You can eat unlimited amounts of salad and vegetables, excluding potato, sweet potato, corn and avocado. Drink two litres of water a day and exercise 30-40 minutes four or five times a week. “Your body will thank you for it,” Sym says.